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Post by Darryl on Sept 4, 2005 22:44:42 GMT -5
Often times people will mention that they mix several different types of bedding substances but they will often fail to mention the ratios of each bedding substance. Some folks may argue that it does not matter about ratios. They may think that being concerned about ratios is being too picky and that red worms will live and reproduce no matter how you blend the bedding. While this may be true, I have witnessed many different ratios of bedding substances producing different results. If you use more than one type of bedding substance mixed together, there has to be some ratio that produces the best results and it is the object of this thread to allow people to state just what types of bedding they are using and what the ratios are that produce good vermipost and worm biomass.
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Post by vermiman on Mar 4, 2007 18:54:30 GMT -5
I am new to this forum and vermicomposting. My indoor bin's bedding consist of peat moss, horse manure and dried leaves at a 3-2-1 ratio. My outdoor pit has peat moss and dried leaves at about a 3-2 ratio. It also has a couple of rabbits hanging above.
The outdoor pit is 3 foot wide by six foot long by 2.5 to 3 foot deep. Will this pit be able to keep the red worms alive through the next winter?
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Post by Jay Blair on Mar 4, 2007 22:35:46 GMT -5
peat moss while helping to balance and contain moisture, has no nutritional value for the worms. I have found using inexpensive unused (no kitty poop or squirt) cat litter in the mix to balance moisture.
An advantage of the clay litter over peat moss other than cost is that the worms can consume it as beneficial gut grit in addition to functioning as a moisture balancer. A 25 pound bag of special kitty unscented red sack litter at wal mart costs only $2.24 and can service up to twenty five 32 cubic foot bins. I paid $8 for the last bale of peat moss I bought and only serviced 14 bins.
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Post by vermiman on Mar 4, 2007 22:48:56 GMT -5
OK Jay what is your formula that you would advise a new wormer on creating a worm bed? I'm using a 20 gallon plastic tote with holes drilled in the lid, upper sides and bottom.
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Post by Jay Blair on Mar 10, 2007 19:33:19 GMT -5
When I mix a 28 cubic foot bin, I mix in 14 cu feet of loose packed shredded paper, then mix leaf mold or precomposted grass clippings to a volume of 5 cu feet max. I then add three cups of litter and mix it up.
Then I add water until I reach 75% moisture saturation by use of my moisture probe.
If you don't have a moisture probe you want the moiture to mimic that which you find under a three inch layer of leaves outdoors when you see worms and beetles living happily in the outside environment.
If its too moist , add a bit more clay litter or dry leaves to balance the moisture.
After its mixed and watered, I generally wait a few days to introduce the worms until I am confident the insect population is comfortable.
I use the insects activity and temperature checks to ensure microorganism activity is acceptable before moving part of my worm herd to its new grazing grounds.
After a few days of herd introduction , I start addingwastes from the methane digestors.
When the bin starts reaching about 26 cu feet of volume and the majority of the paper is gone indicating completion of first virmicompost cycle, I begin harvesting one side of the bin while continung to feed the other end
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Post by vermiman on Mar 12, 2007 7:24:29 GMT -5
@jay Blair
What is leaf mold?
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Post by Jay Blair on Mar 14, 2007 3:49:01 GMT -5
@jay Blair What is leaf mold? The wet musty lower level of the leaves where they are the darkest and the bugs and wild worms live. Generally at the leaf mold level, topsoil is aleady accumulating. |
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Post by vermiman on Mar 14, 2007 21:14:50 GMT -5
@jay Blair
How long do the leaves have to sit before this leaf mold forms? I don't know, because until just recently we burned all our leaves. Luckily we still have quite a bit of leaves from last fall still not raked. Do I need to get some welded wire and create a circular incloser and compost the leaves? Or will it develop the leaf mold in a pile?
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Post by Jay Blair on Mar 18, 2007 14:39:47 GMT -5
It will develop from piled leaves, but of course winds may take some of the pile away and animals may poop in it.
I find chickenwire hoops about 3 or 4 feet across and anchored to a metal T post fence post makes a nice leaf mold bin. After the leaves have been rained on and started molding, I shovel from the open 6 inch bottom I make by mounting the wire column hoop up on the metal fencepost
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Post by vermiman on Mar 19, 2007 22:43:00 GMT -5
After I design a 3 to 4 foot welded wire hoop and add dry leaves, what do I do to get it to start processing?
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Post by tt on Mar 20, 2007 17:40:02 GMT -5
I would ljust make sure it stays wet. i compost about 20 ton a year of leaves. They decompose well when I layer them with the worms or just leave them in plastic bags and put holes in the bags and get them good and wet
or I dont know your weather but here we go into a deep freeze so some of it sits over winter and by next fall it is processed. my worms go right into the bags.
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